Ch 1: 7th Grade Language Arts: Punctuation & Grammar

1. Capitalization Rules in Writing

Capitalization is a very important concept in standard grammar in the written form of the English language. Watch this video lesson to learn what capitalization is and when to use it.

2. Punctuation: Using Colons, Semicolons & Periods

Periods, colons, and semicolons all have the ability to stop a sentence in its tracks, but for very different purposes. In this lesson, learn how and why we use them in our writing.

3. Commas: Correct Usage & Basic Rules

Think that you know commas? You may be surprised. Even the most experienced writers have problems remembering all the rules. Learn the basics of comma usage in this first of two lessons on the comma.

4. Comma Usage: Avoid Confusion in Clauses & Contrasting Sentence Parts

Learn more about comma usage from the pros! There are just too many ways to use the comma (it's a basic punctuation mark, after all) to fit in one sentence. Watch here to learn about some of the more common traps students fall into when trying to put commas in the right place.

5. Question Mark: Definition & Use

A question mark (?) is a form of punctuation placed at the end of a sentence. Its main purpose is to specify a query or question. In this lesson, we will take a look at when you should and should not use a question mark in your writing.

6. Exclamation Mark: Use & Meaning

The exclamation mark (!), also called the exclamation point, is a form of punctuation that is sometimes used at the end of a single word, phrase or complete sentence. Its goal is to express an extremely strong and intense statement.

7. Apostrophe: Use & Examples

In this lesson, we will learn about the apostrophe and how it's useful to us. See a few examples of common apostrophe mistakes and learn how to correct them.

8. Parentheses and Dashes: Correct Usage

Parentheses and dashes are two different (but often confused) ways of setting off a chunk of information within a sentence - do you know how to use them correctly?

9. Using Hyphens, Brackets, Ellipses & Quotation Marks

Writing not only consists of letters and words but many forms of punctuation. Watch this video lesson to learn about four types of punctuation: hyphens, brackets, ellipses, and quotation marks.

10. How to Use and Interpret Hyphenation Conventions

In this lesson, we will define hyphens, discuss the rules for using a hyphen correctly, and then explain why a hyphen is important for clarity in your writing.

11. The Purposes of the Ellipsis and Dashes

In this lesson, we will learn when and how to use ellipses, en dashes and em dashes. These can be used to indicate a pause or a break in text. Ellipses can also be used to indicate an omission of text.